Automatic telephone dialer



April 2, 1940. T, w MCKENZIE 2,195,519

AUTOMATIC TELEPHONE DIALER "Filed Aug. 25, 1937 4,Sheets-Sheet 1 A'TTORNEY April 2, 1940. w MacKENZlE 2,195,519-

AUTOMATIC TELEPHONE DIALER Filed Aug. 25, 1937 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 April 2, 1940.. T. w. MMKENZIE 2,195,519

AUTOMATIC TELEPHONE DIALER Filed Aug. 25, 19:7 4 Sheets-Sheet s INVENTOR,

. I ATTORNEY April 2, 1940. 'r. w. MMKENZIE AUTOMATIC TELEPHONE DI ALER Filed Aug. 25, 1937 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR omafiW/Vacfiie XMA Q) izj ATTORNEY Patented A r. .2, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE AUTOMATIC TELEPHONE DIALER Thomas W. MacKenzie,,-.Union County, N. J.

Application August 25,

13 Claims.

This invention relates to means for 'automatir for the usual manual operation. Results of this operationare the avoidance of errors, saving of time and labor, and enable one operator to efie'ct dialing of a number of telephones at the same time.

Otherobects of the invention are to provide an improved device of this kind which is easily adaptable for selectively calling any one of a large list of subscribers and their numbers, which list may easily be changed to add or substitute new numbers without the expense of additional parts or material.

Additional objects of the invention are to improve generally the simplicity and efficiency of such apparatus and to provide a simple apparatus of this kind which is labor-saving, economical, durable, accurate and reliable in operation, and economical to manufacture and install.

Still other objects of the invention will appear as the description proceeds; and while herein details of the invention are described in the specification and. some of the claims, the invention is not limited to these, since many and various changes may be made without departing from the scope of the invention as claimed in the broader claims.

The inventive features for the accomplishment of these and other objects are shown herein in connection with a novel telephone dialer which, briefly stated, includes dialing means including a friction wheel dialing member engageable with the edge of the telephone dialing disk, an advancing means adapted when electrically energized to cause said member to engage and advance said disk, and restoration means. adapted when enerv "gized to disengage and restore the dialing member. There are a plurality of selectable subscriber assemblies each corresponding to a different subscriber number and each comprising digit contacts, numeral contacts and conductors connecting each digit contact to its corresponding of example one of'many possible embodiments 193:1, Serial No. 160,136 (Cl. 179-90) numeral contact. Digit selector switch means influenced by each restoration of said dialing member successively electrically connect the digit contacts of aselected assembly with a pole of the source. Numeral selector switch means ad-' 5 vanced in unison with the advancing dialing member are adapted when in normal position to electrically connect said advancing means in circuit with the current source to cause the dialing means to advance from normal, and are adapted '10 when so advancing to successively connect said numera contacts of such selected assembly, through e restoration means to the other pole of' the source thereby to disengage and restore the dialing member as soon as the corresponding numeral is reached, thus to allow the telephone diskto restore as in manual operation.

' In the accompanying drawings showing, by way and subscriber assemblies; v I L Fig. 3 is a wiring diagram of the apparatus;

Fig. 4 isa fragmental plan showing the parts of the assembly-selector means;

Fig. 5 is a bottom plan showing the connections of a subscriber assembly;

Fig. 6 is a top plan of the assembly;

Fig. 7 is an end elevation of the assembly;

Fig. 8 shows a fragmental end elevation, partly in section, of the assembly selector means or carriage;

' Fig. 9 is a fragmental end elevation partly in .10! section on the line 9-9 of Fig. 2, showing the motor and reducing gears;

Fig. 10 is a plan, partly in section on the line llll0 of Fig. 2, showing the numeral selector switch; a

Fig. 11 is a plan,partly in secton on the line ll-ll of Fig. 1, showing the digit selector advancing means;

Fig. 12 is a fragmental side elevation showing the relation of the dialing member with the receiver and dialing disk of a telephone, and

Fig. 13 is a fragmental elevation showing the receiver rais ng means.

The dialing is effected by engagement of the edge of the telephone ,dialing disk" (Fig. 12) by a s6- rotary friction rim I I (Figs. 1 and 12) of rubber or the like of the dialing wheel or member I2 fast on the upper .end of the dialing shaft I3 rotatably mounted in the bearing bushing I4 carried in a frame I5 having spaced bored ears I'I pivotallyreceived on a post I8 carried on the bottom 29 of the machine housing 2 I Fast on the lower end of the shaft I3 is a friction ring wheel 22 Having its inner periphery engageable with a restoring friction wheel 23 (Figs. 1 and 2) rotatable on a short shaft 24 mounted in the base. The wheel 23 is fast with a gear 25 meshing in intermediate pinion 29 driven by gears 21 and 28 from the worm wheel 29 meshing with the worm 30 fast on the shaft of the motor 3|.

When the frame I5 is swung toward the bottom of Fig. 2, the friction ring wheel 22 engages the wheel 23; and the dialing wheel I2 is driven in return or restoring direction. When the frame is moved in the opposite direction, the friction periphery II engages the dial I0, and the outer periphery of the wheel 22 engages in advancing friction wheel 33 fast on the pinion 26, whereby the dialing shaft, the friction rim I I and disk III 'are rotated at high speed in dialing direction.

' The above mentioned movement of the frame is effected by the oscillation of a cam head 35 provided with a cam slot '36 receiving a, pin 31 carried by the frame I5. Said head is carried on a shaft 38 mounted in brackets 39, 40 on the base. Said shaft carries radial armatures 43, 44 disposed at an angle to each other, and respectively attracted by electromagnets 45, 46 mounted between the brackets. When armature 43 is attracted thering wheel 22 moves into engagement with the wheel 33 for dialing, and when the armature 44 is attracted, the wheel 23 is engaged for restoring the dialing shaft to normal. A snap switch 41, later to be described, is'operated by the shaft 38. The function of the snap switch and the energization of the magnets 45, 46 will be presently explained.

The number of the subscriber to be called is selectedby sliding a contact carriage, or assembly selector 49 (Figs. 1 and 8) over a plurality of assembly plates 50 of' insulating material transverselydisposed under the path of the carriage on parallel supporting rails 5I mounted on the housing walls, the plates being supported on rails 53 on the bottom of the housing and held in place by spring clamps 54 engaging over one end of the plate and a bar 55 mountedon the rail at the other end of the plate and laterally projecting over such end. These plates correspond to diiferenttelephone numbers in accordance with the connections on the plates as will be explained. In the present embodiment, each plate is adapted to provide for four different telecorresponding to the ten'possible numbers 1 to 0 v of each digit; and these contact pins respectively engage with spring contact tongues 58 pressed up from ten spaced bus bars or'conducting strips 59 secured parallelwith the path of the carriage on an insulating board 60 secured on the bottom 20 between said rails. Each contact pin an of each plate engages a tongue 59 of each strip. There is only one set of pins an for the four telephone numbers on each plate 50.

Upwardly pointing from each assembly plate 50 are four sets of longitudinal rows of seven upwardly pointed digit contact stems ad (Figs. 1

and 3) numbered I to I, one stem for each digit of the telephone number. If the telephone number has more or less digits than seven, the number of stems ad would be more or less than seven.

Said rows are placed in the four quarters respectively of the plate "(Figs 3 and 6) and each row corresponds to a telephone number to be called. To adapt each row of stems for its number, each digit stem ad is connected by a connector to its corresponding numeral stem an. For instance, in the telephone number BA-7-6069, where B and A represent the same dial position as numeral I, the first and second digit stems are connected by conductors 6| (Fig. 5) to numeral pin" 2 (corresponding to B and A) the third digit stem ad is connected by conductor 62 to numeral pin I; the 4th and 6th digit stems are connected by conductors 53 to numeral pin 6; the fifth digit stem isconnected by conductor 94 to numeral pin 0; and the 7th digit stem is connected by conductor 95 to numeral pin 9. In this example, no digit stem ad is connected to any of numeral pins an I, 3, 4, 5, 9 and II, since corresponding numerals do not occur in the number BA-7-6069. I

The selector carriage 49 is' slidably supported on the parallel supporting rods 5| carried," above the ends of the number plates. Insulating plates 69 (Fig. 1)""carried on the upper margins of the housing walls carry seven parallel digit bus rods 61, corresponding to the respective digits; and each is engaged by a sliding contact 69 (Fig. 8)

carried in the insulating body of the carriage 49 I part; and the rows of clips II are off-set from each other just half said distance. Thus' when onerow of clips 'Il engages one row of digit stems ad, the other row of clips II will be offset from and out of contact with the rows of stems a at the other end of the plate. I

' Mounted on top of the middle of the carriage is a bracket I3 (Fig. 4) carrying a pivoted latch I4 adapted to be pivotally moved toward either end of the carriage to engage, one at a time, in

staggered notches I5, It provided in spaced plates 11 forming part of the top of the machine. Each notch 15. or 15 is positioned to hold .the carriage in position to cause a row of clips to engage a row of digit stems ad; and beside each notch is a name plate It carrying the name and number.

of the subscriber corresponding to the telephone number of the stems ad which are engaged by the clips when the carriage is in such position.

Each digit bus rod 91 is connected by a conductor 90 to a. corresponding digit contact stem ad and by a conductor 89 (Fig. 3) to two corresponding digit selector contacts ds and ds of one of eachsemicircular banks of the digit selector contacts of the digit selector switch 9|, said contacts ds, ds' being engaged one at a time (for each successive digit dialed) by the triplex brush 92,

which also engages the slip ring 93 connected to the minus terminal of. theelectric current source 8|, whereby the digit stems are successive- I'he triplex brush 82 is carried on an insulating piece 86 (Fig. 1) carried fast on the hub ofa ratchet 81. carried on the bearing bushing It and moved one step by a' spring pressed pawl 88 (Fig. 11) pivoted on a pin 88' mounted on a disk 89 oscillatory on said bushing and moved against the tension of the spring 90 by the engagement of a lug 9! (Fig. 1), on the ring wheel 22, with the pin 88', each time thering wheel returns to normal position after a digit is dialed; whereby the brush '82 is moved to a higher digit contact ds or is. The brush 82 is'normally engaged with the number i contact ds or ds',- and moves up to number 2 contact ds or ds after the first digit is dialed and so on past-number i and to ds or ds contact'number i.

The digit selector switch 8i, comprises alsosemicircular or arcuate contacts 9%, as (Fig. 3) engaged by the triplex brush, one at a time dur-' ing the dialing of one complete number, the brush moving successively from contacts ds or ds dur-. ing this time.

When the ring wheel restores 22 after the dialing. of the last digit, the triplex brush is moved from one arcuate contact 93 or 93' to the next, thereby transferring the minus charge of the source 85 from one fixed contact at or 95' of the transfer switch 96 to the other fixed contact for a purpose which will be ex= plained.

Each numeral'bus bar 5% is connected by a conductor 98 to a corresponding fixed numeral contact post 123 (Fig. 3) carried on an insulating plate Q9 of the rotary numeral selector switch We and engageable by the insulated duplex brush Mill carried fasten the dialing shaft it. In normal restored position, the duplex brush Nit engages the two contact posts 902,183, and the starting switch transfer contact as (Fig. 3) is' connected to the semi-circular contact-93 or 93' to which the triplex brush 82 happens to be not connected, in which case no current passes from minus to the starting switch transfer element 98, or to conductor H5 and the motor 35 or to conductor m5, pins m2, m3 and conductor 8% to the electro-magnet d5. Such a positionof the transfer contact is that of the dotted position, the re-, volving slider contact happens to be at the upper semicircular contact.

Now suppose a caller wishes to dial a number.

He first slides-the carriagete until its contacts ii are engaged with the digit stems ad corre-.

sponding to-the number card of the telephone to be called and he then raises the receiver (unless it is done automatically as will be explained) and shifts the starting switch transfer element 9% from the dotted position to the full line position.

v This causes minus current to died a path from the current source at, contact 93 cred, element as or 95, element $6, conductor we, post m2,

brush mi, post i lit, conductor we, operation electromagnet 35, conductor m1, snap switch element Wt, element We (then engaging element its), conductor litto the plus terminal of the source 3Q, whereby the magnet 65 is energized,

armature it attracted, shaitiid rotated and the ring wheel 22 moved into'contact with the friction wheel 3% ready for dialing. At the same time the switch element we snaps over to element M2 connectingconductor M3- and the other magnet 1 66 through conductor MS with the plus terminal oi the source 8 3. 1 Also when said operation magnet 35 is energized as stated, minus current pass es from the starting transfer element as thro conductors He, Me, Hi, the gnet tit (later to be described) and the motor 3|v to plus for driving the dialing shaft. This starts the dialing operation and moves the duplex brush I ll'l from posts I02, I03 into contact with the notched contact ring I'l9,-'and until contact with the first charged post n8 takes place, the post M2 in the present instance.

When contact with post 2 takes place, the dial 1 has been moved two dial spaces to dial the B;

and minus current immediately passes through the triplexbrush, contact dsi, conductor 80, contact 1!, contact adfl, conductor 61', contact'ant,

bus bar- 59}, conductor 98, post n82, duplex brush BM,- notched ring H9, conductor lit, magnet (16-, conductor Mt, switch elements '2, lo9,.conductor l ldto plus, thus attracting armature 4 withdrawing friction wheel !2 from the dial disk (allowing the dial disk to return) -also withdrawing friction ring 22 from wheel iii into contact with the restoring wheel 23 thereby restoring the duplex brush 8M to'itsnormal position.

When the-friction ring 22, returns to its initial position the lug ti ,(Fig. 1)' strikes the pawl plate pin- 88 and moves the pawl, ratchet and digit brush 8?. one step, from the post dsi to digit post ds2; whereupon, the device immediately proceeds to dial the second digit. As the second digit A has the same dial position as digit B, connector ti also connects the second assembly digit contact 11112 to numeral pin (m2, so'that the dialing of the second digit A is exactly the same as before, except that the circuit is completed through stem c122 and post dist, instead of moves from post dsfi to postdst, ready to dial the third digit, which takes place immediately, as before.

When the third digit '7 is dialed, the duplex.

brush Nil moves from the illustrated initial position, as before, but when ns pins i, 2,3,d, 5 and 6 are successively engaged, no circuit is completed through them, since they and their corresponding assembly pin an! are not in circuit with post (1.93 on which the triplex brush d 'now rests. But when the brush it! meets post nsi connect-' ed to-bus bar. 59, engaged by 'pin (ml, a circuit is formed from minus through brush 82, post dst,

the last digit, the pawl 88 shifts the triplex brush through stem will and post .ds'i' as at first; and

when the dialing shaft restores, the triplex brush from post ds'i and the upper arcuate contact 93 i Q (connected with engaged switch contact 83) to the post dsi and the lower arcuate contact 93 connected to-contact 95' which is not engaged by the transfer. element 96 of thestarting switch.

This breaks the motor circuit, causing the motor to stop, but leaves the machine inposition to be started by the next caller by moving the transfer elementtt to contact t5.

As stated, the telephone receivermay be, raised by hand or'automatically. If the receiver is always-to .be raised by hand, the magnet M8 and associated parts may be omitted. If they are omitted, the telephone receiver :22 is raised by hand before the starting switch element 96 is operatedforstarting. If the magnet and associated automatic receiver raising means are provided, the current through conductors IIS, H0,

H1 which on operation of the starting transfer element 96, energizes the motor also energizes the magnet H8.

The magnet I I8 (Fig. l) is mounted on a bracket I23 on.the housing wall I24, and when energized attracts an armature I25 having downturned-corner ears I26,at the corners remote from the wall, each ear having a vertical slot receiving a screw I21 mounted in a .down-turned ear I28 on the bracket I23. At the middle of the edge near the wall, the armature I25 is provided with a down-turned ear I29 pivoted to a lever I30, fulcrumed at one end to the wall I24.

The free end of the lever I30 has a pin-andslot connection I32 with a vertical rod I35 slid-' receiver'- I22 and the receiver hook to rise, thus permitting the telephone to dial, the receiver and platform being held raised by means of a flat spring I38 having a cam (Figs. 1, 12 and 13) end I39 adapted, when the platform is raised, to

engage under a cone collar I 40 (Fig. 13) fast on the .rod, thereby to hold the receiver and hook raised, should the subscriber not remove the receiver before the dialing ceases. After using the receiver, the subscriber merely replaces the receiver onto the hook, in the ordinary way, with enough force to force the collar I3 8- below the cam end I39.

What is claimed is:

1. In a telephone dialer a source of current; dialing means including a dialing member, advancing means adapted when energized for advancing said member and restoration means adapted when energized to restore the member; subscriber assemblies each comprising digit contacts, numeral contacts and conductors connecting each digit contact to a corresponding numeral contact; means influenced by each restoration of said member to successively connect the digit contacts of a selected assembly with a pole of the source; means advanced in unison with the advancing dialing member and adaptedwhen in normal position to electrically connect said advancing means in circuit with the source, and to successively connect said numeral contacts of such selected. assembly, through the restoration means to the other pole of thesource.

2. In a telephone dialer, a source of current; dialing means including a dialing member, advancing means for advancing said member, and restoration; means adapted when energized to restore the member; subscriber assemblies each comprising digit contacts, numeral contacts and conductors connecting each digit contact to a.

corresponding numeral contact; means influenced by each restoration of said member to successively connect the digit contacts of a selected assembly with a pole of, the source; means advanced in unison with the advancing dialing member and adapted when advancing to auccessively connect said numeral contacts of such selected assembly, through the restoration means to the other pole of the source.

3. In a telephone dialer, a source of current; dialing means including a dialing member, advancing means adapted when energized for advancing said member, and restoration means adapted to restore the member after a numeral is dialed; means advanced with the advancing tor for diflerent digits; numeral selector means advanced in unison with the advancing dialing member from normal position to successive numeral positions; means cooperating with the numeral selector and advancing means when in normal position to advance the numeral selector means and dialing member; subscriber assemblies each comprising digit elements and numeral elements associated therewith corresponding to 'a number to be called; and means adapted to be selectively associated with any assembly, and associating said digit and numeral elements with said digit and numeral selector means respectively when the latter are in positions corresponding to said elements to cooperate therewith to cause said dial member to restore. Q

5. In a telephone dialer, a v dialing member adapted to be advanced in dialing direction and restored; digit selector means influenced by restoration of said member to successively set the selector? for different digits; numeral selector means advanced in unison with the advancing dialing member from normal position to successively numeral positions; subscriber assemblies each comprising digit elements and numeral elements associated'therewith correspond v ing to a number to be called; and means adapted to be associated with any assembly and associat ing said elements with said selector means when the latter-are in positions corresponding to said elements to cooperate therewith to cause said dial member to restore.

6. Ina telephone dialer, a source of current;

-a pole of the source; a dialing switch means operated and restored in unison with the dialing member and comprising numeral contacts and adapted when in normal position to connect said advancing means to in circuit with source, and to successively-connect said numeral contacts through the restoration means to the first pole;-

subscriber assemblies each comprising digit contacts, numeral contacts, and conductors connecting each digit contact to a corresponding numeral contact; and selective means adapted to connect all of the digit contacts of any assembly to corresponding selector contacts and the switch numeral contacts to the corresponding assembly numeral contacts.

7. In a telephone dialer, a source of current; dialing means including a dialing member, advancing means adapted when energized for caus ing the advance of said member, dialing direction and restoration means adapted when energized to bring about the restoration of the member; a digit selector switch comprising a bank of selector contacts; means operative on each restoration of said member to successively connect the digit selector contacts with a pole of the source; subarcane each digit contact to a corresponding numeral contact; selective means adapted to connect all of the respective digit contacts of any selected as,- sembly'to corresponding digit selector contacts; a dialing switch means operated and restored in unison with the dialing member and comprising numeral contacts and adapted when in normal position to electrically connect said advancingmeans in circuit with the'source, and to suecessively connect said numeral contacts through the restoration means to the other pole; and conductors connecting the switch numeral contacts to the corresponding assemblynumieral contacts.

8. In a telephone dialer, a source of current; a dialing member engageable with a telephone to dial a number; a restoration magnet and an operation magnet each having its coil connected to one pole of the source; motor means settable by the operatiim magnet, when energizedinto condition for causing said member to operate in dialing direction, and when the restoration magnet is energized to disengage and restore the member to normal; a digit selector switch comprising a bank of digit selector contacts; means operative on each restoration of the dialing member for successively connecting the digit selector contacts with the second pole; a starting means for supplying driving current to the motor means only until all of said (contacts have been engaged; subscriber assemblies each comprising assembly 7 digit contacts numerai contacts, and conductors connecting each assembly digit contact to a corresponding assembly numeral contact; selective means adapted to connect all; of the respective assembly digit of any assembl to corresponding 49 member digit selector contacts; a dialing swltchmeans operated and restored in unison with the dialing and comprising numeral selector contacts and adapted when innnormal position to electrically connect said operation magnet tosaid second pole, and to successively connect said numeral selector contacts through the restoration magnet to the first pole; and conductors connecting the numeral contacts to the respective corresponding numeral contacts of each assembly.

9. In a telephone/dialer, a source of current;

means including a dialing "member engageable with a telephone to dial the telephone; a restoration magnet and an operation magnet each having its coil connected to one pole of the source; means set in operation by the operation magnet when energized for causing said member to dial the telephone in dialing direction, and when the restoration magnet is energized to disengage and restore the member to normal; and means for selectively energizing said magnets.

10. In a telephone dialer, a source of current;

"aYrotatable dialing member engageable with the telephone disk to turn the disk; a motor havin one terminal connected to the pole of said source; a restoration magnet; an operation magnet; a snap transfer switch hav ns its transfer connected to'the plus pole of the source, and its fixed elements connected 'to said coils of said magnets respectively: means operatedby the op eration magnet when energised for snapl l the transfer elementrrom connection with the starting magnet to connection with the restoration bet to iirst set of ajs'ele'cted assembly with a pole of the source; means'advanced in unison with the adelement.

magnet, and to cause said member to eng se the i disk and said motor when operating to rotate the disk in diallng dlrectlon, and when the restora-' means for selectively connecting said coils to the I other pole of the source.

11. In a telephone dialer, a source of current; dialing means including a dialing member, means foradvancing and restoring said member, and a motor adapted to drive said member and means and having one terminal connected to a pole of said source; a switch comprising a brush connected to the second pole of the source. a pair of contacts one only being engageable by the brush during the dialing of a number and means operative on each restoration of the dialing memher for moving said brush from one arcuate contact to the next after each number has been dialed; and a transfer starting switch having a starting transfer element connected with the other terminal of the motor and adapted to be electrically connected to either contact, and normally connected to the unengaged arcuate contact. l

12. In a telephone dialer, a source of current; dialing means including a dialing member, advancing means adapted when energized for advancing 'said member, restoration means adapted when energized to restore the member when a numeral is dialed, and a motor adapted to drive said member and means and having one terminal tarcuate contact being engageable by the brush during a diflerent half of the brush revolution;-

and means operative on each restoration of the dialing member for moving said brush along one of said contacts. and from one arcuate contact to the next after every digit of the number has been dialed; a transfer starting switch having a starting transfer element adapted to be electrically connected to either arcuate contact, and normally connected to the unengaged arcuate contact and permanently connectedwith the other terminal of the motor; whereby when the brush passes from one arcuate contact to the next, the starting transfer element will be disconnected from said second pole. v

18. In combination, a source of current; operating means including an advancing member, advancing means adapted when energized for advancing said-member and disabling means adapted when energized to disable the member; assemblies each comprising two sets of contacts, and conductors connecting each contact of one set to a corresponding contact of the other set; meanaope'rated each advance of said memconnect the contacts of the vancing member and adapted when in normal position to electrically connect said advancing meansincircuitwiththesource.andtosuccessivelyconnectsa'idcontactsofthesecondset of such selected assembly,- the disabling moanstotheotherm -f mm W. Us 

